YEAR’S ESTIMATES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1941, Page 3

YEAR’S ESTIMATES

NEARLY £39 MILLIONS. DEPARTMENTAL COSTS. WELLINGTON, July 16. Taken as a whole, both the main and Public Works Estimates, which were presented with the Budget tonight, show little variation on those presented last year. The total estimated expenditure provided for in the main Estimates is approximately £lOO,OOO more than last year, and annual votes show an increase of approximately £600,000. In the main Estimates, the total expenditure provided for for 1941-42 is £38,811,948, against last year’s expenditure of £38,711,503. The estimate of debt services this year totals £10,954,719, against £11,997,075 last year. Under this heading interest this year totals £8,540,645, against £8,152,586 last year. Repayment of public debt this year amounts to £2,260,020, compared with last year’s repayment of £2,074,062. Transfers to loans redemption accounts last year amounted to £1,696,785. Under special acts the total estimates this year amount to £5,635,630, last year's expenditure under this heading amounting to £5,282,621. An interesting item under this vote is a decrease this year in the estimate for j exchange, this year’s figure being £1,600,000 against last year’s expen-1 diture of £2,400,587. Provision has been made for a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the War Expenses Account this year of £1.500,000. The total estimated annual votes this year amount to £22,190,268, against £21,404,802 last year. The Legislative Department vote this year totals £115,000, against £111,085 expended last year, and the Prime Minister’s Department estimate is £22,220, against an expenditure last year of £24,527. The Treasury Department this year, it is estimated, will expend £53,490, against £59,778 last year, and the Customs Department'estimate is £159,246 this year, against £ 153,578 last year. The Land ' and Income Tax Department this year . is estimated to cost £199.600, against i £185,449 last year. Additional staff < is chieflv responsible for this increase. The Stamp Duties Department vote ' is £102,200, against an expenditure . of £102,427 last year: the Audit De- . partment this year £43,100, last year < £39,900; and the Public Service Com- < missioner’s Office this year £16,500, ] last year £16,104. A fairly substan- < tial reduction is taking place this ] year in the Internal Affairs Department vote, which this year is ; £496,500, against £546,219 last year, 1 the decrease being largely due to the fact that there is no provision for 1 centennial celebrations this year. The i External Affairs Department vote this < year of £247.700, against £209,732 last year, includes the provision of < £32,500 for new engines for a steam- < er owned by the Government. The < Printing and Stationery Department ( vote this year is set down at £557,530 against £293,184 last year, the in- <■ crease being attributable chiefly to c the increased cost of stationery, paper, . and stores. The Marine Department 1 vote this year totals £156,890, < against £168,785 last year. J

PROMOTION OF EMPLOYMENT. One of the of the most marked reductions in this year’s Estimates is that for the Labour Department, which is £1,603,000, against £2,517,326 last year. The decrease is principally effected by a reduction in the provision for the promotion of employment, which is set down at £1,500,000, against an expenditure last year of £2,414,207. The Native Department estimate is £428,300, against £412,904 last year. A new item this year will be a payment to a Special native housing fund equiva-;

lent to one-third of the Native Trust Office profits paid to the Consolidated Fund, which is estimated at £8362. This vote also provides for the transfer to the Native Trustee, in aid of a special housing fund for houses for indigent natives, of £25,000. The Valuation Department vote this year is £40,000, against last year’s expeni diture of £37,560. i Perhaps one of the most significant - votes this year is that for the ElecB toral Department, which amounts to - £112,500, against £8133 last year, i Provision for a General Election and r a Licensing Poll is made in this year’s I vote. The Census and Statistics De- ■ partment vote is £33,390 this year, against £33,023 last year. The Na- • tional Service Department vote this 5 year is £102,500, last year £100,911; • Justice and Prisons this year ■ £278,005, last year £271,641; the ; Crown Law Office this year £B6BO, ; last year £8348. The Police Department this year is ; estimated to cost £667,700, against an ’ expenditure of £649,715 last year. ► Provision is made in this year’s vote ; for £2400 for 10 women police. Other increased expenditure is made up in bringing the Police Force up to full strength this year. Maintenance of public works and services this year totals £600,000, against £575,697 last year, the increase being accounted for by increased provision for river protection works. Provision for £17,550 is made in the Lands and Survey estimate of I £404,800, against £368,177 last year, for swamp land drainage. The Agricultural Department estimates are increased from £1,611,984 expended last year to £1,806,800, chiefly as a . result of increases in the subsidies on the manufacture of fertilisers and the 1 rail carriage of lime, fertilisers, and farm produce. The Industries and . Commerce, Tourist and Publicity Department vote this year is £801,400, i against £688,842 last year. In the increase an additional subsidy of £30,000 on wheat, and a subsidy to I the sugar industry of an additional ; £84,000 is included. The Scientific and Industrial Re- 1 search vote this year is £183,200, i against £164,074 last year. An in- 1 creased subsidy on coal production of z £50,000 is chiefly responsible for an increase in the Mines Department vote of £298,475, compared with £233,063 last year. The Transport Department this year is estimated to cost £86,400 J against £67,362 last year, and the ; Health Department £1,769,895, c against £ 1,423,609 last year. Thein- J creases in the latter department’s ex- ' penditure during the coming year in- J elude £36,750 for the supply of ap- J pies for school children, and an addi- ; tional subsidy to hospital boards of * approximately £237,000. The Men- ? tai Hospital Department vote is .' £448,700, against last year’s expenditure of £425,671. The Education De- ‘ partment vote this year is £4,772,200, against £4,606,347 last year. . ? War and sundry pensions this year J are expected to absorb £2,070,947, ° against £1,957,217 last year, the in- * crease including additional war vet- 3 erans’ allowances of about £13,000. The contribution to the Social Se- a curity Fund under the vote social se- / curity has been increased from / £3,200,000 last year to £3,600,000 E this year. The National Provident Y and Friendly Society’s vote this year r is £103,200, against £103,513 last • year. 3 / LAND FOR SOLDIERS. , 2

Under the heading of separate accounts, the Land for Settlers Account this year is estimated at £449,900, against £379,731 last year, the increase being principally due to the purchase of areas for the. settlement of discharged soldiers. The Social Security Fund vote for administration expenses and emergency benefits this year is £605,910, against £572,220 last year, the increase being partly due to the cost of administration ' for medical and

t pharmaceutical benefits. Medical and I hospital benefits this year are esti- . mated to cost £3,000,000, against ■ £1,776,685 last year. A new item uni der this heading is £600,000 for me- ? dical benefits. There is also an in- ? crease in the provision lor maternity ■ benefits of £32,000, while hospital . benefits increase this year from £1,258,633 last year to £1,437,000 ; this year. Provision is also made this year for pharmaceutical benefits at a. i cost of £350,000, and supplementary . benefits £65,000. i The State Coal Mines Account this ; year is estimated at £594,745, against £491,886 last year. The State Forests Account this year is £529,000, against £499,990 last year. The Working Railways Account this year is estimated at £9,842,581, against £8,662,162 last year. Renewals, depreciation, etc., of rolling stock account for approximately £1,000,000 of the increase. Under the heading of outside accounts, the Poet Office Account this year will be £4,135,853, against £3,664,260 last year, an increased provision of approximately £ 100,000 for salaries (cost of living bonus) being included in this amount. Chief among other accounts, the estimates being given first and last year’s expenditure in parenthesis in each instance, are:—Public Trust Account, £356,355 (£333,905); Native Trustee’s Account, £24,362 (£14,495); Government Life Insurance, £150,983 (£135,913); Public Service Superannuation Fund, £8625 (£8005); State Fire, £114,625 (£115,626); Government Accident, £46,720 (£42,089); Dairy Industry Account £30,517 ( £37,569); Meat Industry, £38,536 (£39,161); Sundry ■Products Account, £20,502 (£19,913); Wool Industry, £12,713 (£10,359); Internal Marketing, £77,271 (£68,544); Fruit Industry, £20,430 (£13,668). The last item under this heading is the Broadcasting Account, the estimate for which is £297,713 this 1 year against £264,713 last year. I The capital expenditure of the Na- j tional Broadcasting Service shows an i increase of £9OOO, and the salaries of j the Commercial Broadcasting Service J an increase of £4OOO. i

PUBLIC WORKS. The Public Works Fund estimates were also presented to-night. In the General Purposes Account, this year’s estimate is £5,042,300, against £5,990,045 last year. The Public Works departmental vote this year is £200,000, against £48,731 last year. Railway improvements and additions to open lines are estimated this year at £150,000, last year £1,072,160. In addition to this year’s £150,000, the Working Railways Depreciation Fund is to provide for an expenditure of £1,625,000. The public buildings estimate this year is £900,000, against £901,000 last year, education buildings £500,000 against £599,000 last year; Roads, etc., Account this year is £350,000, against £599,000 last year; telegraph extensions £275,000, against £256,000; lands improvement £200,000 this year, £242,957 last year. The irrigation and water supply vote this year is £552,000, last year £611,038; small farms development this year £388,200, last year £315,419; native land settlement £250,000 this year, last year £238,444; linen flax development this year £600,000, last year £245,977; Electricity Supply Account this year £2,957,375, last year £2,304,331; and the Main Highways Account this year £2,742,200 against £3,521,382 last! year. DISTRICT ITEMS WELLINGTON, July 16. A greatly increased expenditure on the new railway station at Christchurch and the rearrangement of the yard and terminal facilities is provided for in the Public Works Estimates.;

1 Of the vote of £98,800 made last year - the expenditure was only £33,901. The t provision is for an expenditure of - £143,000. The original estimate for the - cost of the new station and terminal - was £700,000, but additional works / have brought the estimated cost of 1 completion up to £856,000, of which i £166,171 has been expended so far. ) Expenditure on the construction of s the South Island Main Trunk railway i between Wharanui and Parnassus is r J etsimated for this year at £407,000. (The sum of £416,585 was spent last s year, and it is estimated that £650,000 t will be needed to complete the line, - the expenditure on which so far nas , been £2,580,084. For the Te Kuha-In-angahua section of the new line from t Westport to Inangahua £lOO,OOO is , provided, the actual amount spent last ■ year being £110,389. The estimated : cost of this railway has already been i exceeded, at £1,183,102, by £350,066, and the estimate is that £98,000 will 1 be needed to complete the line. A sum > of £10,700 is also provided for the i Otira sub-station. ' HIGHWAYS Heavy reductions in the amounts . for the construction, improvement, ; and repair of Canterbury and West Coast highways are made in the estimates oi expenditure in the Main : Highways Account of the Public Works Fund. Votes for the various districts for construction, with last year’s expenditure in parenthesis, are as follows: —No. 11 (Nelson), £30,564 (£116,818); No. 12 (West Coast), £29,750 (£106,313); No. 13 (Canterbury North), £10,350 (£56,324); No. 14 (Canterbury Central), £33,650 (£80,256); No. 15 (Canterbury South) £17,8’00 (£36,168). However, renewal grants have been increased, the votes this year being as follows, with expenditure last year given for comparison:—Nelson, £8935 (£6177); West C0a5t,.£33,850 (£9831); Canterbury North, £11,650 (nil); Canterbury Central, £3750 (£2134); Canterbury South, £ll,BOO (£3681). Reduced expenditure on maintenance and repair on highways in these districts is also proposed, the comparative votes and last year’s expenditure for this purpose being:—Nelson, £50,000 (£6,520), West Coast, £65,000 (£92,963); Canterbury North, £24,000 (£31,043); Canterbury Central, £33,000 (£42,156); Canterbury South, £30,000 (£37, 569). No exepnditure on the development - o ftourist resorts in Canterbury and West Coast districts is provided for. Votes sought for roads, etc., in the Christchurch district are £15,000, the - expenditure’ last year of a vote of i £26,000 being £10,546. It is proposed to spend £87,000 in the Greymouth district, where last year £143,505 of a . total grant of £145,000 was expended. , Expenditure on lands improvement ‘ is also heavily reduced in both dis- < tricts, the amount for Christchurch < being fixed at £4350, as against £2B,- , 000 last year, and LN23O for the Grey- , mouth district, for which £10,250 was provided in the last estimates. ( SUBSIDY ON COAL ( Additional appointments and ex- rpenditure in connection with the war 1 activities of the Department of Scien - t title and Industrial Research are giv ■ en as £10,425. Aerial surveys of coal t and gold fields under the Mines De- ‘ partment vote are provided for to the extent of £5OO, while the subsidy on ' coal production wil Itake £200,000. I The free milk supply to children will cost £174,000. The fact that more students are in training as teachers is mentioned in | the Education Department’s estimate [ of £149,100 for allowances and ad- [ vances to students and their trans- f port expenses. The students in train - | ing this year number 1530, as against! f 1464 in 1940. F

The sum of £34,000 is provided for the development of unoccupied lands, teh amount being lower on account of certain areas acquired Under the land

■’for settlement legislation for the set- : tlement of discharged soldiers being thansferrecl to the administration of ■ the Small Farms Board. In the internal marketing vote £7500 is provided for equipping new premises at Auckland with plant and machinery. The broadcasting unit with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force is estimated to cost £3OOO. The sum of £250 is provided in the Internal Affairs Department vote, for the erection of small obelisks, with bronze plaques, to mark the leanding places on New Zealand by Captain James Cook. There is also an item of £99 for packing for shipping overseas the effects of Lord Galway, while £43, is provided for the transfer of the personal effects and furniture of Parliamentary under-secretaries. MR. FRASER’S TOUR The cost of the present visit overseas of the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) and his party is shown as £3OOO, £l9OO being for general expenses. The Government motor vessel Maui Pomare is to be fitted with new engines, generators, and refrigeration plant, the cost of installation being estimated at £32,500. Under the heading of general elections, preparation of the rolls is estimated to cost £41.955, and the expenses of taking the election £42,965 and £lO,OOO is also provided for a licensing poll, and £5OO for by-election expenses, against £l3lO for two byelections last year. A sum of £6860 in the National Service Department estimates includes provision for office equipment for Home Guard district and area offices. Overtime to deal with urgent work in the enrolment of the second division of the General Reserve is estimated at £5OOO, while postages are likely to cost £16,000, against £6094 spent last year. The costs of appeal boards are set down at £9575. and those of manpower committees are shown at £15,675. National service organisations are estimated to cost £25,125, exclusive of items charge ddirect to the War Expenses account. The cost of the Women’s War Auxiliary is estimated to be £4020,